Jiang Ping laughed. "You're worrying too much, sir. I've lived here for many years and never encountered a single Demonic Beast."
Zhen Yuanzi's heart jolted. There was a flaw in that statement!
An ordinary life-form couldn't possibly live here for years. Even surviving for a few months would be difficult!
Heh heh, Peerless Expert, you've finally let your guard down!
You're definitely no ordinary life-form. You must be some unknown Peerless Expert in disguise!
Inside the Thatched Hut, Hong Yun had heard every word of their conversation. He, too, instantly realized that Jiang Ping was no ordinary life-form.
The commotion last night had been enormous. Even a mere trace of the pressure he'd let slip would have crushed a Heavenly Immortal into a lump of flesh!
An ordinary life-form could never withstand it.
What's more, last night you'd driven off two great Demonic Beasts at the Quasi-Saint level with just one sentence.
Your cultivation was at least that of a Saint!
There were hidden Saints in the Primordial World after all!
And I'd actually encountered one! I absolutely couldn't let this opportunity slip by!
I'm sorry, Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, but I have to get ahead of you. I can't let you manipulate me. You've probably realized the Peerless Expert's identity too, but there's only one share of this opportunity. I'm going to seize it first!
Hong Yun made up his mind and shoved the door open.
In his haste, he used a little too much force and tore the simple door right off its hinges.
Hong Yun couldn't spare a thought for that. He ran straight up to Jiang Ping.
Thump!
He dropped to his knees!
Thud, thud, thud!
Then he knocked his head against the ground three times!
"Peerless Expert, please accept me as your disciple!"
Jiang Ping was dumbfounded. The sudden appearance of this man gave him quite a scare.
Seeing the broken door, he winced.
Conditions in the Primordial World were rudimentary, and he'd gone to great lengths to build this Thatched Hut.
Every stitch and every thread had been hard-won.
He hadn't expected this reckless lunatic to wreck it in an instant.
And this guy was calling me a Peerless Expert, then waking up first thing in the morning to kowtow and ask me to take him as a disciple.
Was he starving, or was he still half asleep?
Maybe he was actually some mighty figure from the Primordial World, and he was deliberately messing with me!
The possibility made Jiang Ping even angrier.
"Are you stupid?" Jiang Ping snapped.
Zhen Yuanzi was horrified. Gritting his teeth, he yanked Hong Yun to his feet.
He wanted to slap him to death!
I was just trying to get on the Peerless Expert's good side, and you went and exposed his identity. Are you trying to get yourself killed?
If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!
The Peerless Expert is obviously so powerful, so why is he pretending to be an ordinary life-form?
There must be some profound reason. How could you or I presume to understand it?
"Um, young master, don't misunderstand. My brother was taken by a Demonic Beast when he was little, and the shock damaged his mind. Later, a Peerless Expert saved him, so he sometimes has episodes and calls strangers Peerless Experts."
Zhen Yuanzi's mind raced as he stammered out an explanation.
Jiang Ping's anger instantly dissipated.
He looked at Hong Yun sympathetically and shook his head with a sigh. What a poor man.
Still, he was lucky to be alive. At least the Demonic Beast hadn't swallowed him whole.
It seemed the Primordial World really was dangerous. Look at what the Demonic Beasts had done to a grown man.
"Oh, right. You said last night that his name was Xiao Hong, didn't you? And what's yours?"
Seeing Jiang Ping's expression soften, Zhen Yuanzi felt a little more at ease. "My name is Da Yuan. Please don't take offense, young master. Just imagine how hard it is for one person to look after Xiao Hong."
Jiang Ping nodded, deeply moved. "Mister Da Yuan, I admire your spirit. The road through the Primordial World is long and perilous, full of danger. You've carried a burden like Xiao Hong without forgetting your principles, and you've never abandoned him along the way. That's truly admirable!"
Hearing Jiang Ping praise him, Zhen Yuanzi felt his face burn with embarrassment. But the conversation had gone this far, and he didn't dare explain any more. He comforted himself by thinking that a Peerless Expert would be magnanimous and wouldn't mind a little white lie.
Hearing Zhen Yuanzi describe him so poorly, Hong Yun was furious.
So this is how you treat me, Zhen Yuanzi! I took you for my closest friend and kept nothing from you, yet you slander me in front of the Peerless Expert just to win his favor!
How despicable!
You can know someone's face but not his heart. I, Hong Yun, was wrong about you.
Although Hong Yun was angry with Zhen Yuanzi, he knew he couldn't explain himself now. Otherwise, it would be like deliberately making a fool of the Peerless Expert.
That would be a grave offense. If the Peerless Expert flew into a rage and punished them, even the Dao Ancestor couldn't clear their names.
After all, they wouldn't be innocent. They'd have brought it on themselves!
"You flatter me, young master. I don't deserve such praise," Zhen Yuanzi said awkwardly.
Hong Yun coughed twice and said sheepishly, "I'm sorry, young master. I was rude just now."
Jiang Ping looked at Hong Yun sympathetically and said softly, "It's fine. I don't blame you. You've got it rough enough as it is, with your mind working sometimes and not others. It'll be hard for you to find a wife someday."
Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun laughed awkwardly.
Jiang Ping continued, "By the way, Mister Da Yuan said earlier that Demonic Beasts roam around here. Don't worry. I'll tell you the truth: I'm just an ordinary life-form. I've lived here a long time and never seen a single Demonic Beast."
Zhen Yuanzi thought, Of course you've never seen a Demonic Beast. Which one would dare act up in front of you? You could crush one with a little finger.
No, the Peerless Expert has emphasized again that he's an ordinary life-form!
That must be the key. I have to remember it. I should send Hong Yun a message and make sure he understands, so he doesn't do anything foolish.
It seems the Three Pure Ones were decent after all. They weren't lying: we absolutely mustn't expose the Peerless Expert's identity to his face!
"Hong Yun, remember this: the Peerless Expert is experiencing the workings of the Great Dao, so he has taken on the roots of an ordinary life-form. You must never expose his identity to his face. Just treat him like an ordinary life-form."
Hong Yun responded at once with a cold snort. "Zhen Yuanzi, I know exactly what you're up to, but I agree with you on this. Still, I'm worried the Peerless Expert might take offense if we fail to show proper respect."
"Taking offense is better than making him angry. If you're not sure what to do, just say less. Better yet, keep your mouth shut, or you'll bring a deadly calamity down on us both!"
"Hmph, do as you like. I'll be watching to see what you're really up to."
Zhen Yuanzi considered this for a moment, then said with a smile, "I feel much more at ease hearing you say that, young master. Sorry for disturbing you last night. Please accept this small token of my appreciation."
With that, Zhen Yuanzi took out a Ginseng Fruit.
Jiang Ping looked at it. It looked neither like a fruit nor a vegetable. What a strange appearance.
Seeing Zhen Yuanzi's serious expression, Jiang Ping's heart stirred. Could this be some kind of Heaven's Materials and Earth's Treasures?
Could the man in front of him be a hidden expert from the Primordial World?
Could this be his opportunity?
Jiang Ping did his best to stay calm, accepted it, and examined it closely. "What is this?"
Zhen Yuanzi hesitated. "This is a Grass Returning Pill, given to me by an elder. I hear it's a very unusual Spirit Fruit."
Grass Returning Pill?
The name sounded familiar to Jiang Ping, as if he'd heard it somewhere before.
Right, the Grass Returning Pill was the Ginseng Fruit!
Jiang Ping was overjoyed. This was a treasure, one of the ten great Innate Spiritual Roots of the Primordial World, on a par with the Gourd Root and the Bodhi Root!
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